10 Best Animal TV Shows of All Time

Animals have been popular on television ever since those newfangled electronic devices started showing up in our homes over a half century ago.

But which animal-starring shows have earned the right to claim to be the best? We answer that question with our list of The Top 10 Best Animal Shows of All Time.

10. Meerkat Manor
This top-rated Animal Planet show debuted in 2005 as a British export and went viral shortly thereafter. The documentary of daily meerkat existence on the Kalahari plains featured Flower, the charismatic female Alpha of "The Whiskers", and her group's ongoing struggles against other meerkat groups like the Aztecs, Lazuli, and Commandoes. Reality TV meets cute, furry creatures, complete with soap opera drama and gangland-style rivalries.

9. 'Gentle Ben'
This show featured a giant, affable bear as the centerpiece of every episode from 1967-1969. But did this popular Sunday evening CBS lead-in for 'The Ed Sullivan Show' gain its audience because of the high-tension adventures of young Mark (played by Clint Howard) and his grunting exploratory companion or was it because Mark's dad (played by Dennis Weaver) cruised around the Florida Everglades in a way-too-cool airboat? Whichever, the combination worked.

8. 'Lancelot Link'
This Saturday morning spy spoof featured an entire cast of chimpanzee actors. Airing from 1970-1972, the 'Get Smart'-inspired spoof featured A.P.E. (Agency for the Prevention of Evil) agent Lancelot Link in a constant battle with Chief Baron von Butcher, Dr. Strangemind and other C.H.U.M.P (the Criminal Headquarters for Underworld Master Plan) villains. What the show may have lacked in dramatic dialogue, it more than made up for with creativity and costuming.

7. 'The Crocodile Hunter'
The show that help put Animal Planet on the map. From 1997-2004, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin purposely investigated the lairs of some of the most dangerous animals known to man and then yelled "Crikey!" when one of the animals inevitably tried to take a snap at him. Irwin tragically passed away in 2006 while diving in the Great Barrier Reef.

6. 'Flipper'
Airing on NBC from 1964-1967, this "aquatic Lassie" featured another south Florida park ranger, Porter Ricks, and his two sons, Sandy and Bud. Their playfully smart underwater companion routinely saved the day, helping to rescue the boys from whatever peril they found themselves in. The long underwater sequences added to the spectacle of the show's fictional Coral Key Park & Marine Reserve locale.

5. 'Scooby-Doo'
Scooby-Doo and the gang first started cruising around in The Mystery Machine when CBS aired this animated classic as part of their Saturday morning lineup in 1969. Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Fred and Daphne have been meddling in the affairs of ghouls, ghosts and zombies ever since. With his signature "Rut Roh" and cowardly heroics, Scooby has been entertaining legions of fans in various incarnations for a period spanning five decades. Here's hoping Scooby keeps the snacks coming!

4. 'Mister Ed'
A horse is a horse of course, of course, but if that horse is a smooth-talking prankster named Mr. Ed, then we have an instant classic. Airing from 1961-1966 on CBS, the wisecracking palomino ("Don't yell at me, Wilbur. I'm not your wife") was notorious for speaking only to Wilbur Post, the klutzy architect that inherited the horse when he moved to the country house where Mr. Ed lived. Prank calls by Mr. Ed were common from the phone in the barn with Wilbur always shouldering the blame.


3. Shark Week
The Discovery Channel put blood in the water in 1987 when it debuted Shark Week. This week-long ode to all things "jaws" has been whipping viewers into a feeding frenzy every summer since. The in-your-face marathon of episodes like 'Ocean of Fear,' 'Deadly Waters,' 'Shark After Dark' and 'Top 5 Eaten Alive' has been mesmerizing avid viewers for over 20 years. With its deft blend of education and entertainment, The Discovery Channel has created a brand that continues to attract an ever-increasing fan base.

2. 'Lassie'
This CBS Sunday night stalwart held the top spot in its time slot for nearly 119-dog years. From 1954-1971, Lassie's escapades and weekly heroics helped to build a legacy that no other canine has yet to match. Whether she was protecting young companions Jeff Miller (first three seasons) or Timmy Martin from wild animals and wayward thugs, or rescuing other woodland creatures from looming danger, Lassie's themes of courage, loyalty and honesty resonated with the wholesome American familes of its day.

1. 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom'
No other show in the history of TV has done more to expose the wonders of animals in the wild than this NBC icon. Legendary hosts Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler took viewers on exotic tours of African plains and Amazonian jungles to educate about and explore wild animals in their natural habitat. Perkins' narration from a safe distance of Fowler's up-close encounters with boa constrictors, alligators and lions were legendary. Sweeping vistas and predatory behavior were mixed with mild National Geographic naughtiness from 1963-1988. The show was revived in 2002 by Animal Planet, where it still airs today.